MEATY BARGAINS

For adventurous cooks, oft-overlooked cuts are rich with money-saving possibilities

Did the recent “pink slime” controversy have you fretting over what might be lurking in your burger? For meat maven Ashlie Rachelle from Da-Le Ranch, the nationwide brouhaha over what had routinely been added to commercial ground beef meant an uptick in meat sales at local farmers markets.

Of course, her bold reminder, “No Pink Slime Here,” in squiggly font on the white board outside the stall at the Little Italy Mercato farmers market nudged shoppers her way as well.

But unless you’ve got a pocket stuffed with cash, or understand that growers, like Rachelle, are providing protein without the subsidies embedded in your Big Mac, then you may have suffered some sticker shock. But we’re here to let you in on a little secret: There are bargains to be had in some overlooked meaty goodness, especially if you’ve got an adventurer’s heart.

Or make that a beef heart.

Nose-to-tail eating isn’t only for chefs in restaurants that push the “eat local” mantra. Plenty of home cooks are exploring how to cook this way as well, and some San Diego farmers are eager to help.

“It’s important to use every part of the animal,” says Rachelle. Think outside the boundaries of everyday steaks, chops, roasts and ground meats, she urges.

Growers like Da-Le Ranch, Sage Mountain Farm, SonRise Ranch, Spur Valley Ranch and plenty more carry tasty cuts of meat that range from beef tongue, beef heart or flavorful cheeks to less-well-known hanging tenders. There’s duck fat, sweetbreads, pork belly, trotters and tripe to be had, too. Buy a chicken from Debby Zappa at Spur Valley Ranch and she’ll throw in the chicken feet for free. And a bag of bone marrow bones (great for roasting, or see our recipe for making umami-rich bone marrow popcorn) cost $5 a pound from the folks at Sage Mountain Farm.

Matt Gordon, chef and owner of Urban Solace restaurant in North Park, is known for serving items like beef cheeks, pork belly and sweetbreads, and encourages home cooks to give it a try.

“If you don’t like to cook, this may not be for you,” says Gordon. “But if you have the desire to learn and can put some time aside, just know many of these cuts take longer to cook, but the rewards are great if you do it right.”

For those who regularly shop at the farmers market, cooking with odd cuts may not be a stretch, but it’s still not necessarily the norm.

“For every 10 chickens we sell at the farmers markets, only three or four people say they want the organs or the feet,” says Alex Castillo, Spur Valley Ranch. “But those people are so incredibly grateful they get that, and nothing goes to waste.”

Phil Noble of Sage Mountain Farm just recently started selling organ meat and odd cuts, after he switched slaughter facilities. (His previous processor wouldn’t return organs like heart, kidneys and livers.) Farmers, like Noble, who raise livestock on pastured property, can generate some extra income by being able to offer those bits to customers.

Still nervous to try an unfamiliar cut? Rachelle says don’t be.

“The fact is, that new-to-you cut might turn out to be your new favorite cut,” she says.